A Simple Sixhttp://www.asimplesix.com
Tue, 20 Jan 2015 19:44:45 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=3.9.7Welcoming Winterhttp://www.asimplesix.com/2015/01/12/welcoming-winter/
http://www.asimplesix.com/2015/01/12/welcoming-winter/#commentsTue, 13 Jan 2015 00:45:06 +0000http://www.asimplesix.com/?p=3373Blogging about family and transportation cycling in Huntington, West Virginia was all about the hills. In Buffalo, NY it may be all about the snow.

When we moved in August 2013 we left our only vehicle behind. We adopted a fairly spirited attitude about living in a larger city. Buffalo had better transport options and some of us were excited to explore them. For instance, the children got a kick out of calling for a taxi on a particularly crazy try to return from Tifft Nature Preserve (10miles south) after bike-bus-waking to get there with a child who was still recovering from a neuromuscular disorder (I’ve made worse decisions). Taxis were pretty cool, and expensive. And. That’s our only taxi tale.

Public transit was a luxury. Someone else drove through piles of snow and slick intersection but I was loving rental cars. A perfect sized, new vehicle for each task that needed done. A snappy fuel efficient compact for a solo shopping trip or the minivan for a run to Boston to pick up our oversized bike that would help us keep cycling through those famed winter. I wasn’t put off by some inconveniences of not owning a personal vehicle when there were so many community, financial, environmental, and adventurous benefits to be had. But we didn’t all love rocking a “car free” lifestyle.

It wasn’t a secret that Brent, my husband, really wanted to own something again. He wanted to know that when he needed a car there was something reliable sitting in his drive way, not down the street in the car-share spot. He didn’t enjoy asking me to make reservations for vehicles or needing to watch the clock to return it on time. He wasn’t fond of not having the choice when sometimes he was tired after a 10mile round trip bike commute on a long and weather weary day. And I got it. But I let my concern over the financial aspects of car ownership and the exhilaration of an active transportation lifestyle wedge between us. These, amongst others, were huge concerns of Brent’s.

It’s a pretty middle class life to have dollars to wiggle around in the budget. We could have dropped cash on an older sedan but we opted for a newer minivan. One with seats for all seven (we have been hosting exchange students) of our bottoms and a warranty. The thing is we bought the van after all the snow melted in May 2014.

From the first flake in November 2013 till we hung up our woolens the next summer, we endured, and on most days, enjoyed the most incredible winter ever. It wasn’t so much the snow, where a surprise six fresh inches on a Monday morning wouldn’t even call for a school delay, as it was the deepest most painful freezing temperatures that made it memorable. I was trying to think of a word that could describe degrees lower than sub-freezing. The fluid in our ears would ice over. The marrow in our bones would seize up. Exposed flesh burned with the winds. There must be a word for that kind of cold.

However, thanks to good clothing, a new bakfiets with weather canopy (we spoiled ourselves, it has an electric assist!), and the determination to keep on, we walked, bused, accepted a few rides to work, and biked all the relentless winter season.

When it was all over, and I had a hard time believing it was, I missed it. I missed feeling that alive. The challenges and subsequent feeling of success drove my obsession and thrill with winter cycling. I no longer had hills to measure the inclines on and then calculate the weight I ferried up like in West Virginia. I didn’t have the feeling of being my own hero any longer. I missed that feeling.

So when I sat my fanny on my bike, and had it all bundled up with child sized cargo, and took the slow snow covered side streets, I was proud of me.

There aren’t a lot of photos from last winter as I wasn’t foolish enough to take my gloves off. But the few I have are some of the highlights. The “worst” of it will forever be a memory.

]]>http://www.asimplesix.com/2015/01/12/welcoming-winter/feed/1We all make choices about our timehttp://www.asimplesix.com/2014/11/24/we-all-make-choices-about-our-time/
http://www.asimplesix.com/2014/11/24/we-all-make-choices-about-our-time/#commentsMon, 24 Nov 2014 21:15:39 +0000http://www.asimplesix.com/?p=3369Go ahead and chuckle when you get to the part about it being be first day of summer break. I opened the WordPress App and this is what I found:

It’s been said time and again, I’m not a busy person, we don’t have a busy life. We started cycling some three years ago to declutter our schedules and slow down the pace. It doesn’t mean we don’t have busy moments or times where we are double, triple or even booked to be in five different places at the same time. There are fewer of those and more empty weekends and longer strolls through farmers markets and open ended volunteer hours at school or the neighborhood clean up. There’s also more time for children to bicker, play video games, and “be bored.” It’s not perfect, but it’s working out alright.

With all the downtime I kept wondering when to blog. The facebook page (linked to the twitter account shown on the blog sidebar) and instagramming was active and easy, but blogging required longer stretches of time, children to be engaged and housekeeping in a lull. It required a working computer, or app and a little motivation. Today, our first day of summer break, so many things lined up just so. The baby is now four and half and does all these great independent things. The two eldest can ride their bikes to the park and library, without me. Imagine what sort of world is opening up before us.

I see ahead of me a few hours alone in my own house.

There’s no promise of a blog resurrection. There is only this feeling that I miss writing. I miss my community of family cycling writers and readers. I miss reporting all the new places we rode, interesting Buffalonian discoveries, and what life has been like 500 miles from everything we knew as comfortable.

]]>http://www.asimplesix.com/2014/11/24/we-all-make-choices-about-our-time/feed/1When We Choose Not to Gohttp://www.asimplesix.com/2013/10/23/when-we-choose-not-to-go/
http://www.asimplesix.com/2013/10/23/when-we-choose-not-to-go/#commentsWed, 23 Oct 2013 13:36:56 +0000http://www.asimplesix.com/?p=3336Last week had a couple good examples of giving up, or maybe it’s giving in.

Following Columbus Day, the littlest one, Oliver, and I hung around the house, stared at the overgrown raised beds behind the garage (made a plan of attack), cleaned the dishes, folded the laundry, then headed out to pick up Avery (6yo) at school to take him to an appointment. We were going from home to school to the children’s hospital on a route we had taken a couple times. Brent met us at school and accompanied us to the hospital. Front and center, covered parking, that was in use. A sweet sight.

The behind the garage look at my spring project. Where to start? Oy vey.Women and Children’s Hospital Bike parking.

To head home we opted for going around Delaware park, also a mostly familiar route. We stopped for playground and snack time, then carried on. We paused to take in the autumn scene over Hoyt Lake. Ok, we paused because after climbing up the hill and the spiral overpass, I needed it (also an e-assist).

Unfortunately the path to the right doesn’t get me where I need to go. Buffalo has hills.Hoyt Lake at Delaware Park. AKA my rest break.

Once home I assembled my plan to attend an open house at one of the schools we are considering for Elliot (9yo) next year. We really want to make informed decisions and these open houses will help us complete his application. Brent works several nights a week, so it’s me, five kids, dinner duties, homework monitoring, and all the usual. I don’t mind not having the extra adult hands, but that night I also wanted to make this open house. Here were several of the options I had in mind and some of the thoughts on each:

Bike all the children to the open house (it’s only 3miles each way, but it would be dark on the way back, I haven’t ridden there before and I am not familiar with the neighborhoods or the streets, the children wouldn’t get their work done or their dinner before a reasonable bedtime)

Bike the youngest children only (the older ones could manage a dinner and homework, we’d only have to take one bike, could hope for snacks at the open house to hold over the younger children and feed them more when we return)

Take the bus with any combination of all or the littles (missed the first bus by the time I thought of this plan, second bus would get us there an hour late, other bus options would drop us off a bit further away and I don’t know the neighborhood well enough to know if we should be walking around it, I’d have to look around for cash/exact change or stop by ATM)

Reserve the car share, taking all or the littles (started to “worry” about where to park at the school, was paying for a car “worth” going to the open house?, how ridiculous does it feel to drive 3miles?, I am obviously having money/guilt/driving issues here)

Find a sitter and bike alone to the open house (the one lead on sitters didn’t call me back this week, as I had this in mind on Sunday, our exchange student isn’t up to the task of being responsible for four other children, the other adults in the neighborhood haven’t offered, but should I ask them? seems awkward, and very last minute, should I be biking alone places I haven’t been, after dark?)

Even with a full moon, it was dark.

Ultimately, what kept me from going was not being familiar with the route to the school, the children not wanting to go anywhere, and the impending darkness. I am not opposed to cycling in the dark, we do it often. I am leery of cycling with the children in the dark through unfamiliar neighborhoods. Sounds like an unsafe plan at this time. I’d like to be more trusting, but I’m feeling “blind” in a new city. Homework and food were my second concern. I can whip together a lunch box and keep the kids up later, for things I feel are justified, as long as they don’t happen often. I really don’t have an issue with paying for a car or the bus (because right now we have the means), but it was bothering me that the distance was very bikeable and it didn’t feel necessary to use transit or a car. Children not wanting to leave their engaging play, is often something I don’t want to break up either, but it stalls a lot of opportunities and outings.

I scrambled my brain for someone who could bike with me, then wondered how ridiculous I might sound pleading for an escort, but in hind sight, that’s what I really need. I need a tour guide, a bike buddy. I need someone who knows these neighborhoods and roads. I want other people to want to ride with us. I don’t want to beg, but I certainly have been. Where are you cycling families!? Where are you patience and understanding?

Another night last week there was a fundraising party at a location I was familiar with, but I was feeling overwhelmed. Brent was working, the kids were not wanting to go, and so the situation played out that I didn’t see the event as neccessary, and we stayed in.

So, I feel like I gave up on these situations. I convinced myself that the open house wasn’t essential, but it would have been nice to attend. I allowed our lifestyle choice to hinder my attendance. Had their been a car in the drive, would we have taken it? I don’t know. I am very good at talking myself out of going places with all the kids by myself. There is very little joy in their company when they don’t want to go, and they didn’t. This happens occasionally (probably more than I would like it). Several of the children are able to pedal their own vehicles, and if they set their minds not to go, I have to get more creative, or we don’t go. These days, after the year we have endured, my creativity is running low.

We come back to this point often and we don’t seem to get far. Is it truly the children, the situation, the time of day, or our mood that is keeping us home, or is it the mode of transportation?

All seven of us went to dinner at a friends house on Sunday. No problems riding home in the dark through Delaware Park, altogether.

For example, I was meeting up with another family and commuter cyclist Friday night to discuss the launch of a Buffalo Kidical Mass. (Jesse also organizes the Buffalo Family Bicycling facebook page. Go join, then ride with me!) Brent was home, the kids weren’t wanting to leave, Eiki had a football game to go to, and it was drizzly and dark. Eiki took the train/bus and Jesse and I were meeting somewhere familiar, so I went, by myself. I left the house after bedtime, not that my kids were anywhere near sleeping, I think they were watching Back to the Future. I took the long way around a guerrilla bike path, because it’s not lit and it is rather boggy right now. We jabbered on till midnight, then I headed home, a different route, I wasn’t entirely familiar with, but knew enough about the neighborhood to feel comfortable. A kid free outing, the desire to go, a safe route all added up to choosing to ride my bike, alone. So maybe I didn’t give up on the other nights, but rather made a sound choice. Or maybe it’s all in the perspective.

MAP link home to coffee meet up to home, around the short cut, guerrilla path. Rode the sidewalks on Main Street.

It’s clear as the muddy ruts in this photo that we ride through here often. Thankfully several people have already secured funding for a paved and lit rails-to-trails pathway, coming…soon?

]]>http://www.asimplesix.com/2013/10/23/when-we-choose-not-to-go/feed/6Car-free Touring with Familyhttp://www.asimplesix.com/2013/10/07/car-free-touring-with-family/
http://www.asimplesix.com/2013/10/07/car-free-touring-with-family/#commentsMon, 07 Oct 2013 16:41:26 +0000http://www.asimplesix.com/?p=3329Walking through the neighborhood to University Station with family.

Months ago, before we had even left WV, my sister Sara text asking to stay with us in Buffalo and borrow our car, so she could go to her bestie’s destination wedding in Niagara Falls. Sure, why not. Isn’t that convenient? Your best friend is getting married twenty miles from our new home and I benefit from a visit too? Sign me up.

Then that whole selling the car thing happened and she sends me another text, “Do we need to rent a car?” Now come on. If the seven of us can get around, the two of you can too. She’s my sister, I can heckle her a wee bit. I did offer to rent the car for her, but also laid out some alternatives. I wouldn’t be able to pick her up at the airport because she was arriving during school pick up time, so she could take the bus, wait for me to get her, call a cab, or again, rent a car. Come arrival time, she and her husband Micheal surprised me, they took the bus. $10 and about an hour later, they had arrived at University Station and walked down the historic University Avenue to our house. The weather was perfect. 70s, with a brilliant tint of autumn foliage.

Yes, we locked our little red wagon at the station.Wings and pizza at the Anchor Bar. I think we counted 25 wing bones on Eiki’s plate at the end of the night.Brent arrived to dinner by bike after work. We took the Mundo in the elevator at the transit station, to board the train.This was our first attempt at getting the long tailed Mundo on the Metro train, and it fit. We were warned that at some stations the opposite doors for unloading, and it was our luck/lack of planning that is what happened. Yet, we get it out without incident. Had the train been fuller, we wouldn’t have made any friends that evening.

We started the sight seeing with a request from them to get wings. We obliged, walking with the trusty Radio Flyer back to the station, boarding the train (using the day passes they purchased to get to our house), and going to the Anchor Bar. The next day, while the children were in school, I took them sight seeing. We covered 18+ miles (map linked), down to the lake, and back again, taking in the tastes, smells, sounds and views Buffalo had to offer us. I wore them out. We started with breakfast at Sweetness 7, then headed to City Hall for a one of a kind view. We rolled out to the Erie Basin Marina, Canalside, and then looped around First Niagara Center and the construction to find ourselves out front of Coca-Cola Field. We worked our way through the city to Allentown, then walked the southern portion of Elmwood Village before stopping for lunch. We wrapped up our tour in the bike lane and on the sharrows of Elmwood Avenue, turning off at Bidwell Avenue to catch the path through Delaware park, our preferred route home.

Preparing for our first full day of adventures. Wheels for almost everyone.Cinnamon roll at Sweetness 7.Hug circle outside of the cafe.A “far to the right” bike lane on Delaware Avenue heading to city center.There is an inside and outside view from the top of City Hall, and it’s free during business hours.Atop of the world.I didn’t set out taking photos for the purpose of the blog…and I should have. There would have been some great snaps. This is the view looking south east toward the marina and Canalside.Then we were at the marina!I am feeling a bit like Family Ride here, gawking at boats.Several water vessels at Canalside are open as museums.

The following day I promised less time in the saddle. We stayed in the Parkside and North Buffalo neighborhoods, covering about a quarter of the miles (map linked). We rode by the Darwin-Martin house, spent a couple hours at the zoo, then lunched on Hertle Avenue at The Global Market. We picked the boys up at school then headed home. That evening Sara and Michael walked the kids to the library and made a stop at the grocery. My sister thought she wouldn’t get any exercise on vacation, as it often is, and she later text me to say she lost a couple pounds. I didn’t starve her, but active transportation has many benefits.

Day two started with a ride by of the Darwin Martin house, a wonderful gem designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.Zoo trip! A visit to the indoor replica of Angle Falls.Global Market on Hertle Avenue. One of many food options for the afternoon. We were exceptionally happy we chose this one.I was tempted to take this table home with my on the cargo bike. And the window, and the wall panels….Micheal was checking out the old theatre marquee and fascade, next to Global.

When the wedding day arrived they decided to rent a car. I borrowed car share to take them to the airport for their car pick up, as the bus wasn’t timely, and then they had quick, convenient access for their 6AM flight the following morning.

All in all, we had a great time and I was able to take them places I had never been in Buffalo by bike. I really like to explore, and having company with me was empowering and fun. I hope they felt the same.

]]>http://www.asimplesix.com/2013/10/07/car-free-touring-with-family/feed/4The Current Cost of Not Owning a Vehiclehttp://www.asimplesix.com/2013/10/01/the-current-cost-of-not-owning-a-vehicle/
http://www.asimplesix.com/2013/10/01/the-current-cost-of-not-owning-a-vehicle/#commentsTue, 01 Oct 2013 14:05:33 +0000http://www.asimplesix.com/?p=3325We are approaching two months in Buffalo, without a car of our own. We spent $149.50 in August, and $249.11 in September on parking, bus, train, taxi, car share (gas & insurance included), tolls, and related memberships. The break out:

August $129.50

$96.00 Car share

$33.50 Bus/train

We certainly were more conservative with our transportation dollars our first month in Buffalo. We had a lapse in income and insurance to hurdle over, but we made it to the other side, without any significant financial surprises.

September $249.11

$137.00 Car share

$49.50 Bus/train

$30.00 Taxi

$12.00 Parking/tolls

$21.60 Membership/mileage overage from September

There was a week in September where I felt like it was “Monday” every day. I was making mistakes too frequently. I signed up for a car share to attend Eiki’s first soccer game, then left my keys with the fob in Brent’s bike, and he was at work. We took the public bus to London’s school on her first day and I bought a round trip ticket, forgetting those were only good on the train. Then I put the adult fare in the bus slot, instead of the reduced amount for a child. It was money spent, that we couldn’t recover. We attended Eiki’s second game, but then due to the substantial walking and waiting we encountered on that particular bus route, we decided to take a taxi back to our bikes waiting at the train station. It all adds up, but it didn’t amount to much when put into the perspective of car ownership, or did it?

Then there is the issue concerning the cost of convenience and quality of life. It takes a lot to leave me feeling like something wasn’t worth my time, or was a nuisance to my day. One of the reasons we choose to bike and walk is because we want the day to slow down. We enjoy the extra time rolling around the neighborhood, under scheduling, experiencing new things, and staying in touch with the weather. However, when London missed the bus to school last week, we didn’t hesitate to borrow the car share vehicle. It was the least inconvenient mode at the time, and we now know we need to work on a better plan B. So it’s all relative.

Had we maintained possession of our vehicle with our move, and used it instead of transit, car share and a taxi, what would our costs have been? That’s more difficult to calculate. I haven’t been tracking mileage, as we are spread in five different directions daily. I wasn’t sure if we should consider the cost of the yellow school bus, and how would you? Those miles are certainly accountable, it was just too much to consider, right now. Maybe another month I will take it on.

I maintain that I am uncertain about any future car ownership. The temptation is strong to buy another van, giving us the “walk out the door and into the car” convenience for out of town trips. I think the urge might be reduced if our local car share had a van parked in our neighborhood. Family size certainly affects our costs for the bus/train, but it also necessitates a larger vehicle, and that is a cost we pay in time to retrieve it.

While we could go purchase a car, I have been researching and dreaming about a bakfiets. We are staring into the frosty crystal ball that has winter white swirling all around, and wondering, could this be the vehicle that maintains our cycling lifestyle a midst colder/harsher conditions? It’s the vehicle of choice for so many with wonderful winters. My research has led to me to learn from the following (who also have resourceful blogrolls):

Modal Mom, Lana is riding a variety of bikes in Ottawa, Ontario with her son

Copenhagenize, a multi-contributor blog about building better cities, based out of Denmark

Chicargobike, this parenting pair write from the windy city about Chicago infrastructure and biking around with four children

Have we met? For some of you, upon meeting me, I was probably a bit enthusiastic, chatty, opinionated, scrambling my conversations, trying too hard to figure out who you might like to meet and what resources I might be able to connect you with. For others I might have asked too many questions. Sometimes I am quiet or cold and curt. I think we all wear many hats into many different arenas. Right now, in my strong desperation for building up connections in a new city, I am being a little forward. Maybe I do this without any excuse all the time, but right now it’s getting out of control.

Before we moved to Buffalo I did some research. I researched the usual stuff, like neighborhoods, houses, and schools. I looked endlessly at maps to find libraries, grocery stores, yarn shops, ice cream parlors, children’s venues, natural resource shops, and Canada. I checked meetup.com for interest groups. I looked for bloggers. I read a little of the local papers and magazines online. It all looked good enough.

What had my heart thumping was when I finally found a glimpse of a cargo bike and other cycling families. This was a needle in a haystack endeavor. Search engines were not providing me anything under the terms “cargo bike,” “bakfiets,” “longtail,” “longjohn,” “family cycling,” and many other variations to find families and children on bicycles in Buffalo. There was nothing except Urban Simplicity‘s blog (his son has graduated highschool) and a craigslisting for an Xtracycle. Them some slim pickings.

Then I saw a photo in the Buffalo News covering Play Streets. Or maybe it was on GOBike Buffalo‘s site of a Safe Routes to School event? Of course I can’t find the article or the photo now, because like I said, it was a needle, in an enormous haystack. In the photo, not prominently positioned, was a bakfiets. A bakfiets! This should have made headlines, but not here. Maybe this bicycle was so normal and families riding in boxes was so mundane it wasn’t note worthy. I could only hope.

With in days of arrival in Buffalo we went scouting for a bike map. Something that would illustrate the safest streets for cycling with children. We came home empty handed, however everyone we talked to at Rick and the GOBike workshop said we needed to get in touch with Justin Booth, as he had “this weird bike.” A couple weeks before we relocated, Joe George, with Urban Simplicity, said we ought to connect with Justin, because he had a cargo bike too. Ok, Justin, now we were on a man hunt. I sent him a message on facebook that went unreturned. All those who would drop his name said he was busy with a lot of volunteer work and his family. I respect this. I am this. I still wanted to find this elusive link to what could be a prosperous family bicycle connection.

A week into the school year where the boys attend I asked a man in the parking lot if he worked there, because I had seen him a few times and he was wearing a name tag, which most of the faculty were not doing. He introduced himself as a Say Yes coordinator at #54, our school, and then we talked about my bike where I was buckling Oliver, the three year old, into. Mr. Antoinetti (sp?) mentioned organizing the school’s bike to school day. You don’t say?! He also says he worked with one Mr. Justin Booth and we should meet. Alright, that’s it. Where ever you are Justin, I will find you.

I posted some casual witty remark in a Buffalo Family Bicycling group on Facebook (It has tribe potential, but I’m getting blank stares right now. A lot of helpful insight, but no family riding buddies. Yet.), and I got a reply, from the man himself. We made arrangements to meet up for coffee last week. I dragged my husband with me because I thought, this could be it. We have found our people.

Coffee with Justin Booth. A significant piece of the people puzzle.

To get to Spot Coffee on the corner of Delaware and Chippewa, you have to go where you have never gone by bike before, and trust that you will arrive safely, and on time. It worked. Here’s how we got from home, in the University Heights, to school on Main, to drop off the boys, then to downtown, on our dual-Yuba morning:

We used the sidewalk on Main Street, having to walk over the curbs at Humboldt Parkway because there were no curb cut, and slowing down along Forest Cemetery because the asphalt side walk was torn up by tree roots. Then it was groovy. Lafayette Avenue was quiet at 9AM ish, the two directional bike lanes and single directional traffic on Linwood Avenue was sweet. The lack of street signs going south needs some improvement but being met by a bike light at the end made up for the annoyance of craning my head around mid intersection to make sure I didn’t pass my turn. We jogged from Linwood to North Street to Delaware Avenue to catch the new bike lane. Downtown was alive, but not overwhelming with vehicles or people, making Brent feel more at ease having Oliver on my deck as we ventured into new territories.

Bike traffic lights!New bike lane on Delaware Avenue, the southern portion. Striped this summer.Bikes, everywhere. About five on the rack in the back and a few on the rack we were locking to.

It’s clear I didn’t do my research well. I was looking for a bakfiets, not a face. Sorry Justin. I was just a little too enthusiastic and hopeful that what would roll up to Spot Coffee was a box full of little children. It’s was also not my expectation that the family man I was seeking out would be the executive director of GOBike Buffalo. Surprise! No one mentioned this to me. Or I wasn’t listening. That’s probably the right answer. We didn’t find our tribe, we found the tribal leader.

We I jabbered on for over an hour, comparing notes on cycling advocacy progress in Buffalo and the work I was involved with in Huntington. We wrapped things up with an open ended “how can I help you?” and “what do you want to do to help?” Then Justin took us on the short tour of the lower west side neighborhood, setting us out on a calm path to Buffalo State to bring Brent to work. It was a joyful and inspiring morning. The stalking sleuthing paid off in dividends.

We still need to reconnect about tossing all my children into his box bike and chugging them upslope for miles on end.

Bikeway that passes under the interstate, close to the lake.Still on the bikeway, passing a high school mural wall.More of the bikeway where it goes through the Japanese Garden.We made it to Buffalo State!After a walkabout campus, and lunch, Oliver and I went home, via Delaware Park, stopping for a peace filled moment on Hoyt Lake.

In Huntington, WV you had very few route options for getting out of town regardless of the transportation mode. We wanted to take our bikes to Barboursville, but it was either narrow winding hilly roads, wide faster state highways or the interstate, so we drove. It made the city of Huntington amazing for cycling. You had an oasis of level streets and all your needs met within a small radius. After a while I started to feel landlocked. It didn’t help to stack up our experiences to those of Tiny Helmets or Family Ride, those mamas pull mileage, but I think it comes down to them having access to miles to pull. They had more places to go and further to get there. Welcome to Buffalo.

All the locals say, “everything is 20 minutes away.” They are of course referring to driving, and the series of looping highways and diagonal expressways that get you around and through the town quickly. Those same loops and cut throughs make cycling navigation more…. interesting. However there is easier access to the towns around Buffalo because of the terrain and the way each adjacent city has grown to the point you can’t tell Kenmore from Amherst from Buffalo. It’s posted on a sign occasionally.

For example, last week I set out to get a New York state drivers license. The nearest auto bureau was about 2 miles away into Amherst, one of the largest suburbs, and in the middle of a strip mall. The route was all residential side streets and stop signs, then a cross walk over Niagara Falls Blvd and around the back side of the shopping plaza. It was so uneventful and pleasant. Oliver and I had budgeted extra time for complications and used to make some Target returns/purchases before our second appointment at Panera with the Buffalo Mommies group again.

The two complications I had with the auto bureau were parking and the important detail of them taking my only form of photo ID while I wait for them to mail me a new one. The ID I need to show with my debit card, to pick up my children from school, to cash checks. It’s important, and they took it. I had plans to escape to Canada this week and those border patrol folks take their job very seriously. No photo ID, no entry. As for parking, we tied up to the faux pillar by the front window.

Target had a few bicycle parking spaces up front, as I have found all Target’s tend to do. Panera was lacking in anywhere to lock, so we locked the bike to itself in front of a window we could see from our table.

Early morning view from University Station.

These suburbs weren’t too shabby by bike. They also work well by bus. A couple weeks ago I was taking London to her new school using the Metro system. We rode the bus to school together, then I headed back to the University Station, a large bus and train hub in our neighborhood. For the sake of the damp cold weather, and time, I waited a couple minutes then took a second bus north to the same shopping plaza described above to do some school supply shopping. The bus let me off at Trader Joe’s, where there was access to shoe stores, restaurants, book sellers, baby warehouses, and oh so much more. If you need more. Same bus picked me up and took me back to the station where my cargo bike was waiting for me, inside.

It took a while, but 8 days after the start of the school year, London, our 11yo, was finally placed and situated with her peers at Olmsted at Kensington High School. There was a lot of misunderstanding, misstating of information from the school registration employees, lack of returned calls and emails, and some good old fashion “take it to the top” maneuvering, but we got her enrolled in a school we hope will be the best fit between instructional methods and learning style. With everyone that needed to be, at a school and work during the day, I felt a little lighter to travel about the city. Less kids on my bike, fewer kids beside me on their bikes, and no one to argue with about which streets were best, and where to ride. It was me, Oliver, the 3.5yo, and Google maps, taking on our day.

Tuesday we ventured to meet up with someone from the Buffalo Mommies group at the Buffalo Museum of Science. Brent biked the boys to school so Oliver and I hung around home, packed our lunches and bundled up for the ride. It was brisk; maybe in the 60Fs when we departed. We followed the route to the boys’ school, taking Parker Avenue south, turning down the side walk on Main Street and then navigating the cross walk to Humboldt Parkway’s bike lanes. The pedestrian light is still not working. I will need to call that in.

The bike lane is sandwiched between parked cars on the right and a single direction of low volume traffic on the left with on and off ramps to the expressway. For city streets, this one is calm, freshly paved and level. We cruised through, made a left at our light and blink, we were there.

Our arrival was followed by a woman on a bike, whom I inquired with about how to get back home. Since this bike lane is one direction, and the other side of the express way, which is the other direction of Humboldt Parkway ends half way to Main, I wasn’t sure what to do. The last visit to the science museum we took Fillmore Avenue. It was a straight shot from the museum to Parker & Main, which could take us to pick up the boys at school, or carry us on home. However, Fillmore is in a rough neighborhood. The sidewalks are broken, covered in glass and often serving their duty to strollers, walkers and store patrons. The street isn’t much better. It widens to four lanes in places and then shrinks back to two with curbside parking. Feeling safe is important. Me, my preschooler, my bike, in a new, large city. We need that feeling of security. The cyclist suggested we head further west and catch Main, which added miles, but might be a good choice, although we’d be on the sidewalk there. Main is a wide through way with faster traffic. It’s a designated bike route, but not a very safe and practical one for children, or me.

We met up with Nicole and her preschooler from the mom’s group. I chatted up another four child family and one of the museum staff members. I was certainly in “desperate for adult conversation” mode. We explored spaces we enjoyed last time, nibbled some lunch and toured some exhibits that were new to us. Before anyone realized, three hours had whisked away and it was time to pick up the boys from school.

We loaded up the Yuba and made a choice of route. We opted to take Humboldt Parkway half way, then skip over to Fillmore and finish our journey. When we crossed over the highway the diagonal groove in the bridge was deep enough to bounce my cell phone out of it’s basket pocket and into the basket and my water bottle onto the bridge. I left the bottle behind (sorry!) and kept moving with traffic. That was the most unintentional of littering and I will pay penance with a neighborhood clean up effort this weekend. Promise.

The ride to school was quick and easy, although not the best of neighborhoods, or the best of timing. There were dozens of school buses dropping off large groups of students at many intersections. I felt I wasn’t welcome on the sidewalks or the streets. A little awkward, but manageable.

With the boys obtained, the bikes loaded, and helmets adjusted, we headed for home. There was a stop for groceries and some chit chatting about the highs and lows of everyone’s days. The weather warmed enough to break a sweat, and in time for the sun to dip low enough to cool off quickly once again.

St. Joseph’s lit up at night, under a full moon, on Main Street.

We did those after school things, then gathered our coats once again for a post dinner neighborhood meeting at the local community center. The email I received mentioned a collaboration between the association and the city to pave and light a rails to trails path near our home. I didn’t want to miss that conversation, but I did. We arrived a few minutes late and the packed room was moving on to personal accounts of the drunken mob/zombie scenes that occur frequently in the University Heights area. My boys were very unnerved by the descriptions given and to be truthful, I was very surprised to hear our neighborhood described in this way. Apparently we live on a “quiet” street. I hope all their issues can be resolved peacefully, and we get our bike path.

We sold our only vehicle the weekend before we left West Virginia. It was a financial decision, but none less one we knew we can handle after two years of choosing to ride our bicycles and making efforts to live more locally. My dad came down from Ohio to help us with the move, so we packed five of us in his two door Civic and two rode in the cab of the moving truck with the crated cats. The short story goes like this….the children and I arrived, then a couple days later the truck, my dad, Brent and the cats arrived. The same afternoon we were unloading the truck, we picked up our Japanese exchange student, Eiki. We spent a few days unpacking, then we started to slowly get out and explore.

Biked to the car share. We took the train home after returning the van.We were invited to pick blueberries.Pedestrian/cycling ramps that bridge over the highway.All day bus/train passes.A single line subway/train from our neighborhood to downtown.

We have, since that day, used the car share a few times, taken a day to go downtown on the train and buses, spent a full day going downtown on bikes, and have managed trips to the zoo, science museum, grocery, bike shops and workshops, parks, schools, farmers markets, food coop, suburban shopping plaza, tool library, bookstores, and Brent’s office, all with our bicycles. The weather has been amazing. The rental house is serving us well. The distances aren’t ideal, although manageable. The terrain is mostly level with inclines here and there, that still have me yearning for an e-assist. Diversity of language, race, religion, age, and income is plentiful. Many things cost more and taxes are higher. C’est la vie.

Science museum. Meandered 7miles to get there and 5miles to get home.1 of 4 neighborhood grocery stores within a mile.Back to school picnic day. We were the only cyclist, and have been the only cyclists, however, there is a small bike rack. That’s something.Children’s area at the Elmwood Arts Festival.Our first dinner out, a tourist destination five blocks away from home.Avery’s new yoga studio, 7minute bike ride through the ‘hood.GOBike racks are offered up for free if you own a business. They even install. These were at the entrance to the zoo. We took the last spot and filled it up with five bikes for 8 people.Canalside harbor and locks area has ships, markets, festivals, monuments, music and more. It’s also clear on the otherside of town. We took the train this day, but it would likely be an 8 mile ride, if I ever get up to doing it.Allentown “bubble window.”GOBike workshop in an old station building, 2miles from home! Used parts, free help, bikey people. Although we were still “outsiders.” Cargo bikes are not common. Our two Yubas make the total Yuba population a whopping 3 in the city. I have seen one Xtracycle and a couple tandems. We have yet to see any cycling families outside the park/recreation trail.

I haven’t been tracking expenses as closely this past year, but I did start tracking transportation costs after selling the van. Since our arrival, we spent $98.50 in August, not including Eiki’s personal transportation, for which he is responsible, and $126.00 thus far into September. We have been using the bus and train more often this month (and I have sometimes been overpaying when I am not paying attention), and we had one taxi ride ($30). I suppose that number could be about $50 more if you include the new locks we bought for the bikes. I should think about how I want to track these numbers.

Enrolling the children in school was a saga, for which I have a lot a confidence will bring about a positive and rewarding outcome. Or so I keep telling myself. Eiki will be going to private school 10 miles south of our home, but using bikes and public transit (passes provided by the school). The school was arranged before his arrival. He has already been selected for the varsity soccer team and utilizes this combo of travel almost daily for practices. We had no shortage of bicycles for his use. Oliver will be staying home another year, and the boys are going to a public preK-4 school about 2 miles from home. We biked to school for about a week, then the weather got a little wet and we let them ride the bus. London was accepted into a gift and talented public high school that serves 5-12th grades after a week of delays and “navigation” of the system. The school is 2.5-3.5 miles from home depending on how you want to get there. We test rode it and were not pleased, so she’s likely taking the big yellow school bus most days until we find a route we feel is safer.

As moves go, this one has been uneventful. There are still a lot of boxes in the children’s room to unpack. I am waiting to put together their shelving. There is a stack of art in the sunroom, where we set up our office, and a stack in the garage. I am forward with people walking down our street, introducing ourselves as new and asking too many questions, seeking opinions and ideas. It seems we have joined every business and organization that has a membership as some effort to get to know the neighborhood and save some money on entertainment. It was less expensive to pay $60 for science museum memberships than to visit twice with seven people. The tool library was a $10 annual fee, but we would have spent significantly more on a cultivator, grass shears and an electric voltage meter. Going there to check out rubber mallets and crow bars has been better than finding a toy store for the children. Interestingly, we haven’t joined GOBike Buffalo yet. We need to. They have a workshop close by and they have bike lockers at the nearest train station.

Although we haven’t found any bicycling families yet, we hear lore of them being in other downtown neighborhoods. It’s just a matter of time. And when I do find them, I think it will be time for Buffalo to have a Kidical Mass.

]]>http://www.asimplesix.com/2013/09/16/five-weeks-of-buffalo/feed/3Our Path from WV to NYhttp://www.asimplesix.com/2013/08/02/our-path-from-wv-to-ny/
http://www.asimplesix.com/2013/08/02/our-path-from-wv-to-ny/#commentsSat, 03 Aug 2013 01:54:07 +0000http://www.asimplesix.com/?p=3169A month ago we announced our move to Buffalo, NY and all the tribulations and feelings that go with such a decision. We heard back from several people about their own experiences and considered it all deeply. While we waited for Brent to wrap up work at Marshall we paired down our belonging, started boxing things up, looked into NY housing options, and pushed our house (politely) on anyone willing to listen. Now, with four days until the truck pulls away from WV, we have a place rented in Buffalo, sight unseen (thanks to new colleague), and a sales contract on our house in WV pending the usual inspections.

To run along side this, we are selling our home at a loss. We will need to payout cash at closing, which we found by selling our minivan (thanks to a friend referring us to a friend). There were several options for securing the funds, but we wanted to walk away from WV without additional debts. A clean break. I will give you all a numbers breakdown…

We financed $132,000 in 2006 for the home

Invested nearly $3,000 each of the 7 years we resided there ($21,000)

We agreed to sell the home for $125,000, minus our portion of closing costs (roughly $10,000)

We owe two banks a total of $120,000 to pay the balance of the mortgages

Therefore we will need $5,000 to close on the sale and the $21,000 in improvements combined with the $114,500 in P&I payments over the years are evaporated into the economy

This analysis tells me we are not very good with our money, home buying should probably include a lot more cash down and less financing, and we are presented with the opportunity to make some changes for our future. With the sale of our house we reduced our debt to only student loans and a pesky credit card purchase for a new work laptop for Brent. For the first time ever, we have a positive net worth (you know, in the financial world).

We are renting a single family home four miles from Brent’s new employer. We hope he can continue to bike commute. The NY rent is less than our WV mortgage. The space is also slightly smaller. The utilities are also projected to be less, thanks to the owners being savvy on insulation and new replacement windows. The land lords are also responsible for a portion of the utilities and maintenance. We see this as savings.

With the sale of our mini van we enrolled in Buffalo Car Share. There was a small Yaris within walking distance of our new home, and several other options (a mini van) we could reasonably ride transit or bike to. Brent’s employer has a discount relationship with BCS, and the membership includes insurance and gas for the vehicles.

Buffalo has a more extensive and timely transit system that includes busing and a light rail, at twice the cost of the one in Huntington (I hope not to compare everything, but it helps for those following along from “home.”) The airport is 7 FLAT miles from our house, downtown looks to be between 6-9 miles, but we will be between the city of Buffalo and the suburb of Amherst (where we could reasonable bike to a *gasp* mall). There are at least two pools, multiple parks, a library, bookstore, several groceries, coffee shops, yoga studios, zoo, and countless other unknown things within our comfortable 2-3mile radius. We will continue to bike. I am actually looking into a box bike now. I feel the timing might be right.

We are not committing ourselves to a car-free life. We will see how things develop. I keep hearing about these transportation prohibitive winters. Avery’s medical care needs might change. And then there is this; one of my first challenges will be the arrival of our exchange student two days (fewer than 36hours) after we pull into our new drive way. I don’t know a thing about this child, or how much luggage he will be carrying. He might not be able to ride a bike. Bringing our family up to seven members will add to many interesting scenarios. Stay tuned.

With all that said, I have more boxes to pack. More things to sell and give away, mail to forward, warmshowers and paperbackswap to put on hold, and appliances to clean. My minimalist ways are not shared evenly with all members of this home. Those children have a lot of arts, crafts, legos, books, and goodwill.